By Alison Bradish

Parishes in the Archdiocese of Regina have already begun consultations for the upcoming Synod on Synodality set to take place in October of 2023 in Rome.  However, there have been questions and concerns about the process along the way.

Parishes are encouraged to invite those in the pews to participate as individuals or in groups while also looking for ways to get feedback from people who aren’t coming to Church.

The deadline for submissions from all parishes, groups, and individuals was recently extended to May 9, 2022.   The original deadline for submissions was February.

A synod is a gathering of bishops that occurs in Rome to discuss and consult about a certain topic.  Some of the most recent Synods include the Synod of the Family in 2015, which resulted in the Apostolic Exhortation (a letter from the Pope to the faithful and people of good will) Amoris Laetia.  In 2018 there was a Synod about young people, faith, and discernment.  The document published as a result of the youth Synod was Christus Vivit.

There can also be synods for specific regions, such as the Synod of Bishops for the Pan -Amazon Region (the Amazon Synod in 2019).

This Synod on Synodality will discuss how we journey together.   The Synod is unique in that it wants to hear from everyone through a variety of questions and themes.

“Is it realistic to consult with everyone? Somebody described this as… “the largest grassroots consultation process in human history.” People have said ‘well, how can you expect to engage 1.4 billion people in the discussion, and not to mention we are also talking to the rest of the world too?  How can you expect to get anything meaningful out of that?”, acknowledges Nicholas Jesson, who works for the Archdiocese of Regina in Ecumenical and Faith Relations.

Jesson has facilitated several workshops about the synodal process as it relates to the Archdiocese and is used to questions about the whys and how of such a massive undertaking.

“We expect that our democratic processes in society should include everybody; the reality is that many democratic processes don’t, but they ought to.  I don’t mean to compare the Synod at all to a democratic process.  It’s not.  It’s an internal process of the Church living out its nature as Church. We are community, so it is natural that we should be engaging our community as such,” says Jesson.

He says he realizes there will be people whose participation will be limited, whether it is because of their willingness to participate, their past experiences of Church, or because they were formed in a way that has them believe their opinion doesn’t count.

Jesson says synodality is what ties us together as Church, like scripture and the sacraments tie us together.

The basic two questions that will guide the Synod include how we are journeying together and how we are responding to what the Holy Spirit is asking us as Church.

The Synod on Synodality has three principal themes: communion, participation, and mission.  There is great emphasis on listening and prayer before delving into ten more subthemes which help to structure the dialogue and conversations.  Even if a person wants to participate individually by filling out an online form anonymously (a link can be found at the end of this article), there is still the option to choose what theme their comments fall under.  Some of the themes are dialogue in church and society, listening, speaking out, celebration and ecumenism.

Jesson points out that the process isn’t about people sending in a “laundry list” of what they want the diocese to do. He says it’s about sharing hopes and dreams, not a vehicle for venting.

He says it will be very important for those creating the synthesis of the information to take all input into account.

“It doesn’t matter if the things you are hearing are radical, or unexpected or heresy.  It can be useful to know these views are out there.  We shouldn’t be applying a filter,” says Jesson.

“Our instinct as Catholics is not to isolate ourselves in like-minded groups but to reach out to others and share the hope that is within us.  That’s basic evangelism. In this synodal process… we become a better Church, more Catholic, more universal as we become better able to listen to people on the fringes and on the margins of the Church.”

Jesson believes that even if the process didn’t involve Rome, the fact that parishes are consulting with their communities and neighbourhoods provides a path for revitalization.

Fr. Rick Krofchek is the pastor at Resurrection Parish in Regina.  The parish has been educating parishioners about the Synod since it was announced in October through the bulletin, the webpage, and announcements at Mass.

But Krofchek said the uptake from parishioners about the Synod was “fairly tepid” at first.  He says many parishioners are tired and weary after dealing with the fallout of Covid-19.

“We actually did a Synod discussion according to the plan that was sent out by the Archdiocese by dedicating an entire parish council meeting just to the consultation about the Synod,” says Krofcheck.

From there, the process has spread out to the various committees on council.  “We invited the chairs of the various committees to put on a consultation for their own members as well. I think that was a better way of getting the word out, “he says.

Krofcheck says the process can be as easy as people getting together for coffee or brunch and talking about what it means to be Church. He says he is trying to let people know that it doesn’t have to be onerous, but he acknowledges there are volunteers in the parish who see it as one more thing they must do.

“The whole exercise is to listen to where people are at, where the Spirit is moving. How we can be Church in the 21st century,” says Krofchek.

Brad Lulik is the chairperson of Resurrection Parish Pastoral Council.  He says some of the other groups the parish has plans to connect with include long-term care facilities, those bringing their children to sacramental prep, and Catholic schools, including two high schools. They have a list of close to 30 community groups they will be engaging with.

He sees parallels between our current experience in southern Saskatchewan and the Synod on Synodality as local churches are trying to walk with Indigenous communities and those who have been hurt by the church.  He sees the process as not only informing the broader Church but having tangible benefits to the local church.

“For parishes that have reservations about the process, I would say while it is a consultation to inform a bigger, higher larger document for the Vatican, it’s also an opportunity to engage with our local community,” says Lulik pointing out that there is no need to wait two years to implement changes that may be needed at a local level.

“It’s much harder to go outside of your church and have these conversations, and so it’s exciting because this gives us an opportunity to do so and helps guide that process for us. It makes it a little less intimidating for our parishioners to go out and have these conversations,” says Lulik.

Resurrection parish will be hosting a town hall meeting in the future that will also include a virtual component for those who do not want to go in person.

They also hope to host an informal event at a local pub to discuss some of the topics.

After parishes submit their synthesis of local consultations, there will be an Archdiocesan Synodal Assembly tentatively scheduled for May 27 to 28th 2022.  In June, the diocesan synthesis text will go to the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops, and in August a national synthesis document will be sent to Rome.

October 2023, the Synod of Bishops will gather and produce a final document that will inform an apostolic exhortation on synodality that Pope Francis will release in 2024.

To give a personal response to the synod, the following link may be used https://archregina.sk.ca/synod-2021-2023/synod-responses-individuals.

Alison Bradish lives in Moose Jaw with her husband and two children.  They attend St. Joseph’s Parish.   She earned Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the University of Regina.  She is naturally curious about local and world events.   She writes from her home where she strives to bloom where she is planted.    She often feels pulled to the topics of religion, education and politics.